Apple Inc. is one of the most successful companies in the world. In essence, the organization's performance has been enabled by creating excellent internal communication strategies. These strategies involve defining business goals in the management's communication with employees and planning of activities that are useful in achieving the various goals ( Ćorić et al., 2020 ). Apple Company has made use of these strategies and tactics, which is crucial to ensuring the organization's common goals. The internal communication strategy and management tactics of the Apple Company have enabled the management to ensure efficiency by encouraging information sharing.
One of the strategies is the two-way communication strategy. This approach involves encouraging information flow from top management to the staff and vice versa. Through the use of a democratic leadership style, the organization allows the employees to give their concerns ( Kang & Sung, 2017 ). For instance, Foxconn workers, after the signing of the Apple contract, were allowed to give suggestions on various improvements needed to make products more appealing.
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Management and stakeholder engagement is also a significant internal communication strategy. This approach allows the organization to keep the key stakeholders informed on the company's decisions and gains ( Wenzel & Koch, 2018 ). In essence, before making an important announcement affecting the market, the company informs its stakeholders, including the directors and key partners.
Essentially, some of the organization's important tactics include the conducting of random audits on the company's supply chain. These audits are meant for understanding changes in the market and discovering losses made in the process of supplying. These issues are communicated to various departments and players in the chain, including the suppliers.
Tools and Their Effectiveness
One of the effective tools is the online Apple ecosystem for employees. This platform allows the workers to air their grievances directly to the leadership and share ideas. This tool is effective as it has enabled the organization to strengthen its employees' teamwork skills by allowing online interaction and reducing bureaucracy in the process. Additionally, Apple management has used memos to communicate plans and changes to workers on various occasions. For example, in the period of the Corona Pandemic, the company's CEO sent a memo to the employees to introduce of remote working. This tool is considered a formal way of communication, and hence it is more effective and creates a sense of responsibility among employees. The memo is essential in ensuring instructions are followed efficiently without delay ( Erkmen, 2018 ). Additionally, the use of instant messaging applications is an important tool in Apple Inc. which is significant as it ensures the security of information and convenience as it avoids delays. Apple has become known for its secrecy, and hence this tool is crucial.
Recommendations
The creation of an employee-led product review program is an important employee initiative. This approach may help to promote employee contribution, especially those with technical roles, to produce products that they own, making the products more original and unique. This approach may increase management's awarenesson overused product designs. Regular dialogue forums are also approaches that could help mitigate payment and working condition crises. This forum should be employee-led to help the management listen more to the staff. In essence, this initiative will improve working relations.
Pros and Cons of Strategies and Tactics
The two-way communication strategy is beneficial as it enables easier detecting of internal problems. In essence, this strategy eliminates communication barriers that are caused by the existence of many intermediaries between workers and management ( Akhmetshin et al., 2020 ). This strategy helps the two groups to understand each other and solve problems.
However, this strategy is time-consuming as it requires feedback from either side before action or response. This approach may cause information overload as the boss may have too many emails to reply to ( Bereznoy, 2017 ). These delays may cause a reduction of effectiveness of actions as some problems to require immediate action.
Meeting stakeholders or engaging them on organizational matters may compromise company matters' discreetness. Some partners may be working with competitors, thus risking the organization's competitive advantage. For instance, Broadcom Inc., one of Apple's partners, is in partnerships with Capture Europe, an IT organization that could in future compete with Apple Inc. ( Ocasio & Joseph, 2018 ). One of the advantages of this strategy is that it allows the management to get more ideas from various stakeholders on actions that could be of help to the company.
Recommendation
Significantly, to ensure secrecy is maintained on matters of policies and strategies, the company should ensure the use of end-to-end encryption to protect messages sent via an application from unauthorized parties ( Eskelinen et al., 2017 ). There is also a need to ensure critical information restriction to top management to avoid delay of decision making where urgent solutions are needed.
These strategies enhance workplace relations by increasing interactions with different employees and management levels. For instance, two-way communications provide platforms for exchanging information, directly creating a bond between individuals ( Verčič & Ćorić, 2018 ). The strategies strengthen the decision-making process by ensuring the incorporation of ideas from different individuals, making all and advancing commitment to follow company policies ( Maor, 2020 ). In essence, more commitment and discipline reduce workplace conflicts.Conclusion
Particularly, the two-way strategy is useful in ensuring that workers in Apple share concers and ideas with the management. This internal communication strategy together with the linear approach has been crucial in balancing between secrecy and sharing of information. These approaches are crucial in improving relations between workers and the management
References
Akhmetshin et al.(2020). Innovative Internal Communications Tools and Their Role in Fostering Ethical Organization Behavior. In 2020 IEEE Communication Strategies in Digital Society Seminar (ComSDS) (pp. 75-81). IEEE.
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Ćorić et al.. (2020). Does Good Internal Communication Enhance Life Satisfaction? Journal Of Communication Management .
Erkmen, E. (2018). Managing Your Brand For Employees: Understanding The Role Of Organizational Processes In Cultivating Employee Brand Equity. Administrative Sciences , 8 (3), 52.
Eskelinen et al. (2017). Improving Internal Communication Management In Smes: Two Case Studies In Service Design. Technology Innovation Management Review , 7 (6).
Kang, M., & Sung, M. (2017). How Symmetrical Employee Communication Leads To Employee Engagement And Positive Employee Communication Behaviors: The Mediation Of Employee-Organization Relationships. Journal Of Communication Management .
Maor, M. (2020). Strategic Communication By Regulatory Agencies As A Form Of Reputation Management: A Strategic Agenda. Public Administration , 98 (4), 1044-1055.
Ocasio, W., & Joseph, J. (2018). The Attention-Based View Of Great Strategies. Strategy Science , 3 (1), 289-294.
Verčič, A. T., & Ćorić, D. S. (2018). The Relationship Between Reputation, Employer Branding And Corporate Social Responsibility. Public Relations Review , 44 (4), 444-452.
Wenzel, M., & Koch, J. (2018). Strategy As Staged Performance: A Critical Discursive Perspective On Keynote Speeches As A Genre Of Strategic Communication. Strategic Management Journal , 39 (3), 639-663.
